


The In-Between Spaces

by blue_eyes_incognito



Series: Sleeping Habits [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, Drabble, Fluff, Insomnia, M/M, Protective!Cas, fallen!cas, human!Cas, post 8x23, post Season 8 finale, sleeping!Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-12 04:13:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/807096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_eyes_incognito/pseuds/blue_eyes_incognito
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel still had trouble sleeping. After millenia of never needing it, it didn't come naturally, even though he was now human. It was Dean's idea for Castiel to sleep with him in his bed, "just for a few nights, until you're used to it," he had said. But a few nights turned into a few weeks, and a few weeks turned into a few months.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The In-Between Spaces

**Author's Note:**

> The "Sleeping Habits" series is a collection of loosely-related, one-shot pieces about Dean and Cas in bed. Fluffy like popcorn.

Castiel still had trouble sleeping. After millenia of never needing it, it didn't come naturally, even though he was now human. It was Dean's idea for Castiel to sleep with him in his bed, "just for a few nights, until you're used to it," he had said. But a few nights turned into a few weeks, and a few weeks turned into a few months. Neither seemed eager to break the habit, as both quietly appreciated the other's presence in the otherwise lonely darkness. Every night, they would fall asleep, backs to each other, facing outward. Dean favored wrapping his body around his pillow. Castiel would bunch up the corner of the blankets and tuck them under his neck. Dean fell asleep quickly most nights. Castiel never could. He laid awake in the darkness of Dean's room, listening to Dean's even breathing and quiet snores. After he'd been asleep for thirty minutes or so, Dean would roll over, abandoning his pillow and wrapping his arms instead around Castiel. It was only like this that Castiel could drift off to sleep, though he'd often fight against it to savor the closeness and contact with Dean. His touch felt electric and caused a rising warmth in Castiel's chest. It was a satisfying, calming, yet exciting feeling, and Castiel reveled in it.

Some nights, Dean didn't roll over; he didn't put his arms around Castiel. These nights were the worst, and Castiel often didn't sleep at all. But sometimes, on these nights, Dean would stir, sometimes violently, make soft but terrible noises of fear and sadness, and curl around his pillow even more tightly. The first night this happened, Castiel tentatively moved toward Dean, placing a gentle, hesitant hand on his shoulder. After a moment, Dean seemed to relax slightly and moved to press his back against Castiel's chest. Castiel wrapped an arm around Dean's waist, and the tension soon melted out of Dean's body. Castiel would comfort Dean through his nightmares this way many times over the months, occasionally also stroking his hair or face and whispering words of comfort in the sleeping man's ears.

This dance they did across the mattress every night was both wonderful and tortuous to Castiel. It was the only time where he could be truly close to Dean, touch him, see him peaceful and vulnerable. This room, this time between days, Dean himself, were all equal parts Heaven and Hell--they placed both indescribable joy and unfathomable pain in Castiel's heart, a beautiful and sorrowful reflection of his now very human existence. In this in-between space, Castiel felt the most human. His emotions stood in stark relief against the dark of the room as he watched over Dean (a habit that he would likely never break), unable to truly protect him anymore, but willing...needing...to do whatever he could anyway.


End file.
